Xiaomi Mi 4 to be launched post-Diwali this year, says India head

Xiaomi, often referred as the “Apple of China”, plans to launch its flagship Mi 4 phone by the year’s end in India and also plans to set up its Mi Home experience zone in Bangalore within four to six months, the company’s India head said.

“The next few things that we will be launching are Mi 4, our flagship product; Mi pad, which is a tablet and Mi Band, a health band. Mi 4 will come to India towards the end of the year, post-Diwali in all likelihood,” Manu Kumar Jain, Xiaomi’s India head of operations, told IANS in an interview.

The company’s second product, Redmi 1S, was launched Tuesday, with registrations continuing till Sep 2. Redmi 1S will retail in India at Rs. 5,999. The company has entered into exclusive partnership with e-commerce site Flipkart to sell all its products. “Redmi Note, which is the elder brother of Redmi 1S, with a 5.5 inch panel, will hit the market around three-four weeks from now,” said Jain, the co-founder of e-commerce portal Jabong and who earlier worked with McKinsey & Company.

The company launched its first product, Mi3 on July 22 “and we have sold around 95,000 units till now,” Jain said. The company opens flash sell once a week for the phone, which costs Rs. 13,999. Xiaomi has also set up 35 service centres across India, including two exclusive Mi service centres in Delhi and Bangalore, to ensure after-sale services for its customers. “We want to expand service centres to six. They will be in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Gurgaon.”

Saying that Xiaomi does not believe in number targets, Jain said the focus was on the right inputs: “The best service centres, the best products and ensuring that products do not have issues. We ensure the software is great and customised for Indian customers and the pricing is right. If the inputs are right, output will follow, which is the number of phones that we are selling.”

As for the experience zone in India, Jain said: “We plan to have a Mi Home in Bangalore within four to six months.”

“Mi Homes are there in China. The experience zones have a huge area. We convert it into a Mi store. Products are displayed with a huge amount of accessories and this also acts as a service centre. A small lounge or cafeteria is attached where people can enjoy themselves,” Jain explained.

Talking about alternative channels of sales, Jain said: “We might start selling through our own website mi.com. We will continue to sell through Flipkart. No timeline has been set so far. Setting up e-commerce operations from scratch takes time in India. In many countries, like in Singapore, we sell through mi.com.”

The Indian site is so far used for marketing alone and no purchases can be made from there. As for target customers, Jain said: “Our target audience is the youth and the tech savvy. We believe that this population will grow, will be the dominant and people will buy online. Our products are comparable to any other Rs. 30,000 – 40,000 device available in the market.”

Xiaomi sold 26.1 million devices in China in the first half of 2014.

India long way behind China, but will see faster smartphone growth: Xiaomi’s Hugo Barra

After the successful flash sales of their Mi 3 devices, Xiaomi today announced another smartphone in the Indian market, the Redmi 1S. The 4.7-inch smartphone, with a 1.6 GHz Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor and an 8 megapixel rear camera will cost only Rs 5999 and will also follow the Mi 3 flash sale model. Registration for the Redmi 1S smartphone will begin today at 6 on Flipkart and sales will open on 2 September.

Given that this is a smartphone which is priced for just Rs 5999 and is offering quality specs in its price range, it’s evident that Xiaomi’s latest device will also see good response from customers.  If you want to know whether to go for this over Moto E or Zenfone 4.

Xiaomi officially announced the launch at an event in Delhi where Xiaomi’s Global VP Hugo Barra and Xiaomi’s India head Manu Jain were present to interact with the press. Both Barra and Jain were there to help build the brand and talk about the phenomenal response that Mi 3 has got and also discuss the concerns that users have faced.

According to Barra, the company managed to sell over 90,000 Mi 3 smartphones is just over the one month since the launch, (Xiaomi’s sixth sale saw the phone get sold out in mere seconds once again). For a phone that was officially launched in July, this is a pretty big number and clearly Xiaomi as a brand has managed to gain some serious attention in the Indian market. And now Barra and co, intend to build on this.

Hugo Barra during the launch event. Tech2

In an interaction with Tech2, Barra said that despite criticism the flash sales are here to stay, at least for some time. Also don’t expect an offline Xiaomi store in India as the company firmly sees itself as an online one. “We’ve continued with this because we’re not aiming for volume right now. Our focus right now is on providing service and good customer experience. Even with the Mi 3, we’ve had users complain about issues such as those with the SIM tray. We could have gone ahead and sold say a 100,000 phones in one go. However we still have to educate our users about Mi3 and with these flash sales, its easier for us to reach people,” Barra said.

In fact after discovering the SIM tray issue, Xiaomi even put out a video on Facebook explaining to users about how to open the SIM tray. The company has also ensured that now micro-SIM adapters will be shipped with the Redmi 1S devices in the coming weeks, so that if you have a micro-SIM, you can use it on the Redmi 1S which has a Mini-SIM tray (aka the size regular SIM).

For now, e-commerce will continue to be a big focus for Xiaomi.

“We’re pretty stubborn in that sense that we are an e-commerce company. What we’re trying to do here, we plan to build our own website, have our own e-commerce store. We want to have a dedicated Mi store for that, because we think that’s the best way for users to experience our products. We will double down and triple down on e-commerce before we even open our minds to think about offline stuff,” said Barra. As far as retail distribution is concerned, he said that Xiaomi was in talks with other firms to help with this as well.

And it’s not just online sales, Xiaomi doesn’t plan to stick with traditional advertising in India either. This means no full page newspaper ads, or TVCs. Barra told us, “In China we do, one media buy a year. It’s a TV spot during the Chinese New Year.” So should we expect one during Diwali?

Redmi 1S is seen during the launch event. Tech2

“Certainly not in India and not this year. If we ever do anything here, it wouldn’t come out like that. Our media plan is to focus on social media and reinvest what you would spend in advertising into making the devices more accessible,” said the Xiaomi VP of global operations.

Xiaomi’s other big focus is customer service and after sales support in India. While initially they had announced exclusive service centres only in Delhi and Bangalore, new ones will also be coming up in Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Gurgaon.

According to Barra, the initial plan was to have three exclusive service centres by the end of summer but that’s already been doubled to six. The reason for this: “We saw how different the experience is if you want to walk into a Mi 3 exclusive store, which addresses the concerns of customers. Sure we have tied up with other service centres as well but we need to give our customers the unique Mi experience,” he said.

Redmi 1S will go on flash sale on 2 September. Tech2

On the difference between India and China, Barra said that in China “a lot of people are accessing the Internet on laptops as laptops are insanely popular” in the country. For India, he said, “Internet is still a mobile phenomena in India. People are discovering the Internet via mobile because they don’t have desktop computers or laptops. Everyone is experiencing the Internet through their own phones. So I think that that’s a leading indicator and I expect it (mobile penetration) to grow faster than in China. That’s how we’re thinking,” he said.

Barra added that, “India as a market has a lot of potential for smartphones, but it will probably take a couple of years for it to reach this potential. It’s like quarter of a size of China’s smartphone market or maybe even a fifth, so obviously there’s a long way to go.”

Where expectations with the India market are concerned, Barra refused to give any number but said that “given that kind of device that Redmi 1S is, and that it’s priced for 6k, we expect that it will be far more popular than Mi 3.” He also acknowledged that given the level of competition in India “everyone is a competitor, from local guys like Micromax to Samsung.”

We also asked Xiaomi about the issue that some customers faced on Flipkart when theyfound that their orders were cancelled by the online store. According to Manu Jain, the India Head for Xiaomi, one of the reasons for this could have been that the customer ordered the devices from a multiple number of devices with the same IP. “Flipkart does have its own methods and if it feels that a particular customer is just trying to buy the phone to resell it, then they would have cancelled it,” he said. He also said that Xiaomi had spoken to OLX, eBay, other websites where people who bought the Mi3 have been offering to sell the phone for a higher price and added that while in some cases the ads were taken down, legally there is nothing wrong with the ads.

Both Barra and Jain admitted that where the response was concerned, it has exceeded their expectations. And now it’s time to capitalise on the hype.

Over in a jiffy: Flipkart sells 20,000 Xiaomi Mi3 units in 2.4 seconds this time around

In Xiaomi’s sixth Mi 3 flash sale on Flipkart,  20,000 units were wiped off the shelves in mere seconds once again. This comes as no surprise as the company has been setting some records with its Mi3 flash sale in India ever since the first batch up on sale on July 22. Read our extensive interview with Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra, where he goes over the surprise success of the brand in India. 

Needless to say, as soon soon someone hits the buy button, Flipkart considers the device sold. And those who joined the throngs said they couldn’t find the phone in stock right on the stroke of 2PM. That does indicate that Flipkart managed to pull off yet another quick sell-out. Barra tweeted saying the company had sold out all phones ni 2.4 seconds.

The company hasn’t mentioned anything about the registrations for the next sale. However, at event held inDelhi, Hugo Barra has launched Xiaomi’s budget Redmi 1s for Rs 5,999. The registrations for the Redmi 1s will begin today evening at 6PM.

By calculating the numbers disclosed by the company, Xiaomi is likely to have sold over 90,000 phones in India so far. The first day, it reportedly went off shelves within 40 minutes, while the second batch sold in five seconds, and the third one at a record of less than two seconds. The fourth and fifth batch had a similar tale to tell. Even with the evident demand, Xiaomi has been releasing meagre units, much to the frustration of the masses.

At just Rs 13,999, the Mi 3 packs a Snapdragon 800, which is by far the cheapest high-end phone available in the market. It competes with the likes of the Nexus 5, Galaxy S4, Xperia Z at nearly half the price. Read our Xiaomi Mi 3 review, to find out if it is worth buying.

For those who were unable to get their hands on the device this time, check out four alternatives to the Mi 3.

Xiaomi Mi 3 goes on sale again tomorrow: Here’s how you can get one successfully

The next batch of one of the most coveted smartphones this season will go live tomorrow on August 26 at 2 pm. This time there will be  20,000 units of the Xiaomi Mi 3 going on sale.

If you’ve tried buying one before, you’ll know that grabbing a unit on Flipkart is not easy. The sales always close in seconds, leaving a bunch of people high and dry. This time, Flipkart has received 1,00,000 registrations for the phone, which means it is going to be even harder to bag the phone.

But if you are determined to get your Mi 3 smartphone this time, here are a few tips that can up your chances of getting one:

1. Start early: Flipkart tends to crash or takes time to load closer to the opening of the sale. So make sure you have logged on to Flipkart with your registered account at least two hours before the sale starts.

2. Enable cookies: Cookies allow websites to recognise you when you return to them, which makes the browser to load webpages faster. When you register on Flipkart and save your contact details, make sure you’ve enabled cookies on your computer. To do this, you’ll  need to go to your browsers Settings page and look for the cookies option.

3. Use multiple web pages: To better your chances of getting a phone, try opening the page on separate devices such as a tablet or a smartphone. If you don’t have a separate device, open the page on multiple browser windows (windows, not tabs). Press Alt+Tab to quickly switch between windows. Getting a friend to click on different pages for you might be useful.

4. Use a single account: Many may tell you to register more than one account to boost your chances of obtaining an Mi 3 smartphone. However, Flipkart’s policy is against people trying to buy the phone using multiple accounts. Even if you do manage to buy the phone doing this, there’s a good chance of the purchase getting cancelled later on.

5. Type quickly: All of Xiaomi’s sales in the past have lasted for no more than 5 seconds. This means you’ll need to type in your details as fast as you can. If you can’t, try getting a friend who can type fast for you. One of our readers suggested memorising card details to speed up the purchase time. Also, try keeping your typing-time to the minimum by save your shipping address and contact details beforehand.

6. Click before you see ‘Buy Now’ : Don’t wait for the countdown to end to click on Buy Now. Like an impatient kid, start clicking few seconds before you see the button. Make sure you place the mouse pointer slightly above the countdown box, as that is where the button would appear.

7. Ignore add-ons: Gift wrapping, 1-day deliveries etc can wait, but the Mi 3 smartphone does not. Opting for these add-ons could complicate the purchase process and crash the website, so stick to the normal delivery mode to keep the process as simple as possible.

8. Buy until you get a confirmation: According to one of our readers, stop only once you’ve received a confirmation of your purchase. To be sure that the phone has been added to your cart, check the orders page. Flipkart has now allowed users to complete the purchase after adding phones to your cart. This means you can try adding as many phones you want and pay Flipkart later that day.

For those too lazy to follow the steps, e-tailer Buyhatke.com has a one-click extension that claims to add the device to your cart immediately. You can check it out here. 

If you are wondering why the the Mi 3 has attracted so much of attention, note that it packs high-end capabilities for a meagre Rs 13,999. Read our Xiaomi Mi 3 review, to find out if it is worth buying. For those who don’t wish to be a part of the herd, check out somealternatives to the Mi 3.

After Mi 3 madness, Xiaomi’s hype machine will now focus on Redmi 1s

Xiaomi will officially unveil the India launch details for the Redmi 1s tomorrow and we will find out when the smartphone will be available and the sales process. Hopefully, this time around Xiaomi has a better handle on how the Indian market works and the demand for its phones. So we can expect a bigger launch than the Mi 3.

While the availability date is still unknown, arguably the most important details are out in the open. We know the Xiaomi Redmi 1s will be priced at Rs 6,999, which makes it great value already. But the specifications are unheard of in this price range. The Redmi 1S sports a Nexus 4-like 4.7-inch 720p IPS display. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor like the Moto G, but the clock speed is higher at 1.6GHz, and there’s a healthy 1GB of RAM. 16GB onboard storage is present and there’s a microSD card slot as well for expansion up to 64GB. The 2000mAh battery sounds great and there are decent-sounding cameras on board as well – an 8MP rear shooter and a 1.6MP front camera.

Just like the Xiaomi Mi 3 which offered incredible specs making its direct competitors irrelevant, the Redmi 1S aims to destroy the competition, none of which can offer similar or specs close to it. In addition, the Redmi phone looks a notch above the competition in terms of design as well.

The entry-level segment threshold has been pushed lower and lower in the past few months with the invasion of the budget Android KitKat phones. So it’s not like Xiaomi won’t have any competition at all. But what the Redmi 1s does is make these feel significantly below par. For one, none of them can offer a similar HD display. Even the Moto E, which had a brilliant qHD display, pales in comparison. The storage is also pretty much the best you can get and the processing power is ample.

Moreover MIUI brings true software differentiation which no other brand can match in this segment. So the advantages are obvious and the lower price point will catch a lot more buyers in the dragnet.

In the Mi 3 review, we’d said that there’s literally no competition for the first Xiaomi phone in India, but the Redmi 1s seems like a better deal. It offers better value given its specs, at nearly half the Mi 3’s price. And it’s shaping up to be a massive success, likely to sell out in mere seconds each time it goes on sale, just as the Mi 3 has done.

Xiaomi has faced a lot of criticism for the way it’s handled the Mi 3 launch, despite the apparent craze for the phone. Even though they are officially here, the Indian market has posed some problems for the company. To repair that image of being all talk and no show, it has to meet the expected demand in a timely manner when it comes to the Redmi 1s. Here the margin for error is smaller as there are hundreds of alternatives. It’s up to Xiaomi to make sure there are enough phones to sell, and they could well and truly arrive in India.

Xiaomi announces the Redmi Note 4G

After its wildly welcomed entry in India Xiaomi has now unveiled the Redmi Note 4G. This phablet is likely to launch in India in a couple of months as Xiaomi is getting a lot of demand for its devices in the country. Earlier Xiaomi launched the Mi3 in India which has proved to be a best seller for the company. Now it has Redmi 1S in tow for the launch. The Redmi 1S will launch with a price tag of Rs 7,000 in India.

With this aggressive pricing from Xiaomi you can expect the price of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G will be around Rs 12,000 only. The Redmi Note 4G comes with a Quad-Core Snapdragon 400 processor paired with 2GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 8GB and allows memory expansion via Micro SD cards. The device has a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels along with a 13-MP f/2.2 rear camera like the Xiaomi Mi3 smartphone.

There are not many smartphones in India with 4G LTE built-in on them. The Galaxy S5 recently launched in India also does not have 4G LTE on board. We understand 4G LTE in India has not reached a great level but certainly the demand for 4G network will rise in the coming year. Let us know what is your take on the Redmi Note 4G.